Columnar packet merchandising machine



Feb. 2, 1960 c. GABRIELSEN ETA!- 2,923,433

COLUMNAR PACKET MERCHANDISING MACHINE 3 Sheets Sheet 1 Filed July 26, 1955 74 C i g issu 2/577 42%? P. Q/CSON BY A ORNEY c. GABRIELSEN ETAL 2,923,433

COLUMNAR PACKET MERCHANDISING MACHINE Feb. 2, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 26, 1955 PA. E

Feb. 2, 1960 c. GABRIELSEN E COLUMNAR PACKET MERCHANDISING MACHINE Filed July 26, 1955 3 SheetS--Sheet 3 ORNEY United States Patent O COLUMNAR PACKET MERCHANDISING MACHINE Christian Gabrielsen, Mountain Lakes, and Arthur R.

Ericson, Believille, N.J., assignors to Rowe Manufacturing Co., Inc, Whippany, N.J., a corporation of New York 1 Application July 26, 1955, Serial No. 524,330

Claims. 01. 221-19 Our invention relates to a columnar packet merchandising machine and more particularly to a columnar packet merchandising machine which is simpler in construction and more eflicient in operationthan are packet merchandising machines of the prior art.

Merchandising machines are known in the prior art for dispensing articles of merchandise, such as packets of gum or the like, in response to the deposit in the machine of coins aggregating the purchase price of an article. These machines employ complex mechanical construction by means of which the packets are dispensed. If, for any reason, the operating mechanism of a machine of the prior art becomes damaged, it is necessary to disassemble a large part of the operating mechanism in order to locate the source of trouble. In other words, the machines of the prior art do not afford ready acces to all of the operating parts of the machine; 7 I

Packet merchandising machines of the'prior art customarily are provided with empty signals for informing a customer when the supply of a particular kind or brand of merchandise is exhausted. Many machines also are provided with relatively complex structures for preventing operation of the machine when the supply of a particular kind of merchandise is exhausted.

Many merchandising machines of the prior art have means including a rack and pawl associated with each individual selecting means for preventing the return of the selecting means once its operation has been initiated.

We have invented a columnar packet merchandising machine which permits ready access to all the operating parts of the machine. Our improvd machine includes means for preventing the operation of a dispensing means associated with a particular kind or brand of merchandise when the supply of the brand of merchandise is exhausted. This empty rack is simpler in construction and more certain in operation than the empty racks of the prior art. Our machine also includes no-return racks and pawls associated with the selecting means. in our construction each pawl serves two selecting means. An individual rack and pawl foreach selecting means is not necessary as in the prior art.

One object of our invention is to provide a columnar packet merchandising machine which affords ready access to all of the operating parts of the machine. I

Another object of our invention is to provide a columnar packet merchandising machine which includes a simpler and eflective empty lock for preventing operation of the selecting means associated with a particular brand of merchandise when the supply of that brand is exhausted.

A further object of our invention is to provide a columnar packet merchandising machine which includes a simple no-return rack and pawl arrangement.

Other and further objects of our invention will appear from the following description.

In general, our invention contemplates the provision of a plurality of columnar merchandise containers each I housing a column of packets of merchandise supported 2,923,433 Patented Feb. 2, 1960 on a platform pivotally carried by the container. An operating bar freed by the deposit in the machine of coins aggregating the purchase price of an article of merchandise permits respective selecting means to operate dispensing means associated with the various columnar containers. We dispose the columnar merchandise containers and the associated dispensing mechanism within the machine cabinet and mount the selecting means on a cover or door hinged to the cabinet. The construction is such that the door carrying the selecting means may be swung away from the cabinet without disassembling any of the machine operating mechanism. Our machine includes means for preventing more than a single operation of a selecting means for a single deposit of coins in the machine. Each of the merchandise column supporting platforms pivots under the influence of gravity when the supply of merchandise in the column is exhausted. Means on the platform prevents operation of the associated dispensing means after the platform pivots.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

Figure l is a perspective view of our columnar packet merchandising machine.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, drawn on an enlarged scale, of our columnar packet merchandising machine, taken along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of our columnar packet merchandisingmachine, taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken along the line 44 of Figure 2, of our columnar packet merchandising machine.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the empty lock provided on our columnar packet merchandising machine. v More particularly referring now to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, our merchandising machine includes a cabinet, indicated generally by the reference character 10, having a back 12 and a pair of sides 14 and 16. A hinge 18 pivotally'mounts a front panel or door 20 on the cabinet 10. Any suitable means, such as a lock 22 or the like, may be employed to secure cover 20 in place on the cabinet 10. Cover 20 includes a display panel. 24. We provide the cover with a coin slot 26 for directing coins to the machine coin register 28 which may be of any type well known in the art. A horizontal portion 30 of cover 20 mounts a coin return button 32, which may be pushed to return coins deposited in the machine to a customer in a manner known to the art. Cover 20 also includes an access opening 34 by means of which a customer may obtain merchandise from the delivery chute, to be described hereinafter, of the machine. We removably mount within the cabinet 10 an assembly, indicated generally by the reference character 36, including a pair of side plates 38 and 40. We fix a mounting bracket 42 between plates 38 and 40 by any convenient means such as screws 44 passing through respective flanges 46 formed on bracket 42. Bracket 42 mounts by any convenient means, such as welding or the like, a plurality of columnar merchandise containers, each of which is indicated generally by the reference character 48. Each'ofthe containers 48 is formed with a back 50 and a pair ofsides 52 and 54. A transverse lip 56 formed at the bottom of each of the sides 54 retains articles of mer chandise Within the associated container 48.

i of 'acontainer 48 "in supporting articles of merchandise within-the container. As can best be seen by reference to Figure 2, the containers 48s are inclined slightly downwa toward t ba 254 .ths a in t 10- A a result.

e articles ch id s th n sqnta er' 4 norm l i as b m fl t th p vot l movement of the member underthe weight of. the packets of chandisewhen they are present'in the column. 7

' Thefront panel o'rdoor20 mounts by any convenient means, such as screws or thelike, a guide member '68 formed with 'channels 70'forguiding the seiector siides 72 of our machine: Each slide 72 includesa base 74 formed with an opening 76 through which a push-button rod 78 extends The endv of 'cach'rod 78 remote from the opening 76 carries -'a selector push button 82 fixed to the rod .78 by' any'suitable meanspsuchas screw threads or the like. We form each button 82 with a bore 84in which we dispose one'end of a coil spring 86. Spring '86 extends from bore-84 to the base 74 of its associated slide 72. We dispose'each button 82 in an opening-88 in the associated slide 72". The-buttons '82 normall'y extend through respective openings 90 formed in the horizontal portion.30 of front panel, 20.

It will be appreciated "that each spring 86 normally tends to force its associated button 82 away from the,

correspondingslide 72. In order to limit this action, we provide each of the rods 78 'with a stop pin 92 at its lower end. Each pin 92 engages the base'74 to limit the upward movement ofbutton 82 under theinfluence of spring 86.: I

Referring now-to Figure 4, we form eachof the slides 72 with a member 94, the lower end 96 of which tapers toila point. Between eachpair of adjacent slides 72 we pivotally mount an interlockmember 98 on a' pin 100 mounted on guide 68' Each member :98 includes a pair oflaterally and downwardly extending legs 102., When a slide 72 is operated to dispense -an article-of merchandise inamanner to be described,the end:96 of the member 94 carried by the slide engages a leg 102 of the associated member 98 to pivot the member around its pin 100: This/pivotal movement of a member 98 -c am s the members: laterally of the machine to-prevent operation of any other 'of the slides 72 until :the actuated slide returnsitonits initial position. v

We provideia' pair of no-return pawls- 104and'1106 for preventing the return .of any slide 72 'a'fter its rnovementinone'direction has been initiated untiliits stroke iscompleted. l A .pair' of pins 108and 1'10 disposed re spectivelybetween the left and fleftcenter slides 72 and the right and right center slides 72, as viewed in' Figure 4, pivotallymounLpawls 104 a nd'- 106. We form each of the pawls: 104 and-106 with 'a' pair of rectangular projection" 112' disposed 180 degrees apart on the pawls. A spring' 1 14. fixed between a projection 112ori "pawl 104 andaaprojection-112 on pawl -106norma1ly urges the pawl r? n 7. M.

tion. A similar action prevents a second actuation of slide 72 during its return movement.

As can be seen 'in- Figures 2 and 3, our machine includes a U-shaped operating bar 118 pivotally mounted by its legs on a shaft 120 extending between the side 1 plates 38 and 40 of the assembly 36. Respective springs 122 and'1 24 fixed'between pins 126 in the operating bar legs and pins 128 in plates 38 and 40 normally urge operating bar 118- to pivot in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2. A pin 130 pivotally connectsone of the operating bar legs to a coin register arm.132 .piv-

' otally connected at its other end to an arm 134 by a pin 136. A pin 138 carried by the coin register pivotally mounts; arm 134. A latch (not shown) normally prevents pivotal'movemen't of arm 134in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2. A coin-passing into the coin register releases the arm restraining the latch in a manner known to the art to permit pivotal movementof arm 134 under the'action of one of the selector slides in a manner to be described,

' We form each of theselector'slides with an actuating arm 140 which normally rests on the operating bar 1 118. It will be seen that with the cover20 closed, the

arms 140 positionthe respective slides 72 and associated buttons 82 on the operating bar 118. Springs 122 and 124 urge bar 113 to a position to support the slides. When a button 82 is pressed to initiate a dispensing op: eration in a manner to be described, spring 86 resilientq iy urges slide 72 downwardly and arm 140 urges bar 118 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, against the action of springs 122 and 124. If arm 134 has been released by deposit of coins in the coin register,' it permits this pivotal movement of bar118.

If the arm 134 is locked and a sclector button 82 is having engaged the freed operating bar 118, the arm 140 of an actuated slide, 72 engages a lateralprojection 142 formed on an arm 144 of a bell crank pivotally mounted on shaft 120. A pin 146 pivotally connects tlhseb other arm 148 of the bell crank to a connectinglink will describe the dispensing mechanism associated with only one of the containers 48. A pin 152 pivotally connects the end of link 150 remote from pin 146 to a dispenser 154 pivotally mounted on a shaft 156 carried by plates 38 and 40. As an arm 140 moves downwardly to engage the associated projection 142, it pivots the bell to-a position. inwhich projections 112-are horizontally disposed. We form each of the. members' 94 with teeth 1'15 positioned to engage a projection 112,0591 pawl 104 (311106: As a slid'e 72 moves downwardly as viewed in Eiglllexl-pilS teeth: 116 engage -a projection 11-2 of pawl 104 or pawl 106: Assuming the 'leftslide 72,-as viewedinfFigure- 4,1'is rnoving downwardly; the engagement of teeth; 116: with the projection 112 of I pawl 104 pivots the pawl-against the; action*of.-the spring 114 in a counter: clockwise direction, Theengagement of projection 112' the dispenser 154 pivots in a clockwise direction under with teeth-llQ-prewdts the. return of the slide to its. initial position-:nntil the, downward-stroke of thesslide? is com plated; by passagefotjall of the teethzllfifpast pawld104.

When all therteetllupassrby' thelpawl projection 112, th e.

crank including arms 144 and 148 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2. This action moves COD: necting link .to the right as viewed in Figure 2 to 15v6ot dispenserf154 in a clockwise direction about shaft Dispenser 154 includes a head 158, one end 160 of which carries a pin" 162' which pivotally mounts a pusher 164. Aspring166 fixed between a hole 168 on dispenser 154 and-a bent lug 170 on pusher 164 urges the pusher to pivot. in a counterclockwise direction a'sfviewed in Figure 2. Bent lug 170 limits this pivotal movement by its engagement with the lower edge of head arm 160. As

the influence of an actuated selector slide 72, the corresponding pusher 164passes into the associated container; "engages the lowermost packet of merchandise,

such as gum or the like gand forces it out of the container tlhrough an opening 172 in back 50 and toward the back i Z.

ln orderto prevent delivery of'the packet to the custom'er -until th'e returwof ibe -operating and selecting It is to be understood that a bell crank having: arms 144'and 148 isprovided for each of the selector slides 72, which slides correspond in number to the number of containers 48. For purposes of convenience, we

mechanism has been acc wm'plished, we pivotally mount a shelf 174 by its mounting lugs 176 on pins 178 carried by side plates 38 and 40. As the dispenser 154 pivots in a clockwise direction, the end 180 of head 158 remote from end 160 engages the underside of shelf 174 to cam the shelf to the position shown in broken lines in Figure 2 to support the article of merchandise pushed out of the container by pusher 164. When the selecting button is released, after slide 72 completes its downward movement, springs 122 and 124 return operating bar 118 to its initial position. It will be understood that the bar 118 returns all the selector slides 72 at this time. As the bar 118 makes its return it engages a return lug 182 formed on bell crank arm 144 to return the bell crank to its initial position. As the bell crank returns, it drives dispenser 154 in a counterclockwise direction about shaft 156 to remove the end 180 of head 158 from under shelf 174 to permit the packet of merchandise being dispensed to fall into the machine delivery chute, indicated generally by the reference character 184, and thence to opening 34 where it is delivered to the customer. It will be seen that spring 166 permits pivoting of pusher 164 and its return to its initial position through the selected column 48 without disturbing the remaining packets of merchandise in the column.

Delivery chute 184 is formed by a first baflle 186 secured by means such as screws or the like 188 to the rear plate 190 of the assembly 36. A second plate or baffle 192 formed with flanges 194 secured to plates 38 and 40 by means such as screws 196 completes the delivery chute 184. Slots 198 formed in the open end of baffle 192, as viewed in Figure 2, space the bell cranks including arms 144 and 148 properly with respect to the columns 48. A member 200 fixed to baffle 192 by any convenient means, such as screws or the like, is formed with slots 202 which space the dispensers 154.

Our merchandise supporting members 62 provide a simple and effective entpty lock. Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 5, we form each of the members 62 with a bent portion 204 including a lug 206. When the column 48 with which a particular member 62 is associated contains a supply of merchandise, the weight of the articles of merchandise resting on the support 64 urges member 62 to the position shown in full lines in Figure 2. When the supply of articles of merchandise in a column is exhausted, the associated member pivots under the influence of gravity so that bent portion 204 engages a pin 208 carried by the corresponding dispenser head 158. In this position of a member 62, lug 206 prevents movement of dispenser 154 in a direction to dispense an article of merchandise. The customer may then make another selection or he may actuate the coin return button 32.

In operation of our columnar packet merchandising machine, a customer first inserts in coin slot 26 a coin or coins aggregating the purchase price of a desired article of merchandise. The machine coin register frees arm 134 in a manner known to the art and the customer makes his selection by pressing one of the buttons 82. When a button 82 is pressed with the operating bar free, the associated slide 72 moves downwardly and arm 140 engages projection 142 to pivot the bell crank including arms 144 and 148 in a counterclockwise direction to pivot arm 154 in a clockwise direction through link 150. In the course of this movement pusher 164 pushes a packet of merchandise out of the corresponding column to the shelf 174 which is cammed upwardly by end 180 of dispenser head 158. After the teeth 116 on the actuated slide 72 have passed by the projection 112 of one of the pawls 104 or 106, the mechanism makes its return movement. Operating bar 118 moves upwardly to engage arm 140 to return slide 72 and to engage lug 182 to return dispenser 158. Shelf 174 drops and the article of merchandise is delivered to the customer. It will be remembered that interlock members 98 prevent 6 operation of more than one selector for a single deposit of coins in the machine. a

In theevent that the supply of merchandise in any container 48 is exhausted, the associated empty lock member 62 pivots under the influence of gravity to push lug 206 to prevent movement of the corresponding dispenser 154.

When it becomes necessary for any reason to gain access to the operating parts of the machine, lock 22 is opened and cover 20 is swung away from the cabinet 1.0 about hinge 18. The selector buttons 82, slides 72 and actuating arms are caried away with cover 20 without disassembling any mechanism. Ready access may then be had to all of the operating parts of the machine. The machine may then be reassembled by swinging cover 20 into place with arms 140 resting on operating bar 118.

It will be seen that we have accomplished the objects of our invention. We have provided a columnar packet merchandising machine which affords ready access to its operating parts without disassembly. Our machine includes a simple and efficient means for preventing operation of the machine when the supply of articles of merchandise in a container is exhausted. It includes a simple means for preventing return of a selecting means once its action has been initiated.

It will be'understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of our claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of our claims without departing from the spirit of our invention. It is therefore to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A merchandising machine including in combination a container for housing a supply of articles of merchandise, a platform for supporting said supply of merchandise within said container, means pivotally mounting said platform on said container, means for dispensing articles of merchandise from said container, means including a pair of relatively movable members and a'resilient connection between said members for operating said dispensing means, and means carried by said platform for sometime immobilizing said dispensing means, said platform being adapted to pivot under the influence of gravity when the supply of articles is exhausted to position said im mobilizing means to prevent movement of the dispensing means, said resilient connection permitting relative movement between said operating means and said dispensing means when said immobilizing means prevents movement of the dispensing means.

2. A merchandising machine as in claim 1 including a cabinet and a cover carried by said cabinet and in which said dispensing means and said operating means include respective interengageable means carried by said cover and by said cabinet.

3. A merchandising machine including in combination a plurality of containers for housing supplies of articles of merchandise to be dispensed, a plurality of respective means for dispensing articles of merchandise from the containers, respective means for selectively operating the dispensing means, a respective no-return rack associated with each of said selecting means to form a pair of racks disposed in side-by-side relationship, a double pawl having a pair of respective substantially diametrically opposed rack-engaging teeth, means pivotally mounting said pawl between a pair of adjacent racks whereby each tooth of said pawl is associated with one of said racks and means normally biasing said pawl to a predetermined posltion.

4. A merchandising machine including in combination a plurality of containers for housing supplies of articles of merchandise to be dispensed, a plurality of respective m ns fe d ming anie eslo m a se f m-the containers, respective means f0;- 1 eleetively operating he d pewingmwnemespe ti e m r m ac as c a ed with achei sai 1 tix1g me n to e a-pl ra y of P i Qf.. numj r of d u epa sch-h vng a pai 9 sub an y rd e ti lly oppo y posed rack-engaging teeth, means pivotally niqunting said pawvls between adjacent racks of alternate pairs f racks h eby a h pa l t ot is d p to engage one o a d r k a d m n b as g s d pa s .to a pre t rm ned P ti 5. VA merchandising machine as in-claim 4 in which said biasing mm is spr nne ting a-p r of adjaeent pgwls.

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